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Hi I'm desperately seeking a place to relocate to. I currently live in the Midwest born and raised and have never liked it. Im not about extreme weather at all and I'm miserable in humidity. I'm soon to be 30 and a single mom to a smart and very active 5 yr old. I'm an Esthetician and my goal is to have my own small business out of my home. I need an area that I can afford yet is a place where people around me have money for luxuries such as facials. Affordable for me is between 8-900 a month under that would be magical but I'm not pushing it. I have to be in a safe area with decent schools and a variety of stores that I'm used to here like Marshall's target Walmart etc. ideally a rent to own would be fantastic along with roomy sqft and a big private back yard. I have friends in L.A. but financially I don't see that as an option. I looked into Fairfield but discovered that its not a town I want my daughter growing up in or me being killed in. Northern CA along with OR and WA are on the top of my list. Is there a place out there for me or are my demands too picky? Please help I've been researching for over a year now and it's passed depressing.

I looked into Fairfield but discovered that its not a town I want my daughter growing up in or me being killed in. Northern CA along with OR and WA are on the top of my list. Is there a place out there for me or are my demands too picky? Please help I've been researching for over a year now and it's passed depressing.

I hardly consider Fairfield as a "bad place" or being killed in. It's about an hour to Sacramento and less than an hour to San Francisco with a huge military base providing it a strong economic base. It may be sprawling, but it is better than most Central Valley towns and it can get some really nice delta breezes in the summer. Decent schools, while not the best, almost near the top scale of your rental budget, and has the cliental to fit your needs. So what's not to like again?

Have you looked into Napa? A quick look at Craigslist and I see 1 bedroom apartments/duplexes at around 1k a month. I don't know anything about schools etc. there but it may have the economic base you are looking for. The main reason Napa came to mind is a former colleague of mine moved up there around 14-15 years ago and started up her own business and is doing well. Of course she didn't have a child but that still took a lot of moxie to just pick up and move up there like she did.
I have to agree with everyone else about housing costs, if you want to be in a decent area you need to pump uo your budget some.
Good luck with your search and I don't blame you at all for wanting to escape the midwest heat/humidity!

That made me wonder as well. I have family in Fairfield who are perfectly content. I'm wondering where she's getting her info.

Hence why i said something. We used to go there a lot, mainly to visit Travis AFB to do some major clothing shopping at the main exchange since it was so big and had a better selection than Beale AFB or McClellan.

I applied for a job there with the County and the Downtown looked like it was turning around back in 2008, pre-recession.

With a yard, no less. I hate to share bad news, but something may need to change.

You'll find your perfect place. Don't worry. You may just need to give up something on the list, either the budget, or a requirement.

This...

You could maybe find a duplex or SFH in North Highlands or Stockton for $900... not sure how roomy it would be. You could also find a 2bd or maybe 3bd apartment for $900-1000 some place like the Pocket neighborhood of Sacramento or in Elk Grove, more like $1500 for a typical SFH home in those areas. Real estate doesn't get much cheaper than Sacramento... hardly the California Dreamin' stereotype, but it is affordable. Just not that affordable.

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